Moonbirds

Artist

General Description

Flying across the page in swooping formations, Robert Zakanitch's moonbirds display a lively feeling of freedom and movement as they flit by crescent moons. The artist depicts the night sky with heavy parallel graphite strokes, which shimmer when they catch light coming from different directions. Instead of focusing on negative or sad aspects of the world, Zakanitch invokes humor, happiness, and the joys of life. As he remarks, "I am more interested in planting the seeds of healing and civility." Though pattern and decoration were frowned upon in the 1970s, Zakanitch held firmly to his own artistic beliefs and developed a style full of lively textures and imagery.